I recently met with Adiba Barney, the new head of Silicon Valley Forum (SVForum), a 30 year old non-profit association that is best known for its annual Visionary Awards, and by its former name, SDForum (Software Developer Forum).

The present organization is the result of a merger with the Silicon Valley Academy of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) in January 2012. It holds more than 200 events every year focused on entrepreneurs and developers.

Adiba Barney, a Swedish national and a branding expert on innovation centers, was appointed CEO early this year. Here are some notes from our conversation:

Barney arrived in early 2011 as part of a Swedish initiative showcasing Swedish innovation. She helped establish innovation centers in Sweden and promote them globally. She decided to stay in Silicon Valley and ran "Silicon Valley Vikings" a networking organization.